El Rey Theater….
Wake as we’re pulling into LA… about 9:00AM. Call the promoter and leave voice mail saying we’re in town. Call the hotel and am told that it’s only 2 blocks from the venue. Anthony, Tone’ and I set off walking…. and finally give up somewhere in the second mile. Of course, as I’m the Tour Manager, it’s my fault that the person at the desk gave me bad information. {sigh}
Later discover that the hotel is actually closer to 4 miles away… out by the Hollywood Bowl. Ask why I was told that it was only 2 blocks and am met with, “Oh, I don’t know where the El Rey Theater is.” Because of the extremely high prices here, we only have 2 rooms: one for Paul and one for the band. As they were provided by the venue, I, the one paying the bills, don’t complain. Nearly everyone else in the band … and not in the band….does. I have booked 5 rooms near the airport for after the show tonight. Minimal redemption. {sigh}
Meanwhile, back at the farm…. the promoter has arrived. Young kid…nice. Good thing. This has started off as a bad day. Vic’s ride to the clinic is nearly an hour late….stuck in traffic…on a Saturday. Finally arrives and heads off with my meal-ticket. Load-in goes smoothly…a long push down the sidewalk…. but Jack and Ted have done it before. No surprises.
Walk a few blocks (really) to the La Brea Tar Pit with Jack. For some reason, I always thought it was out in the middle of nowhere. Probably because I saw it in an old Black & White movie. It’s actually in the middle of Wilshire Blvd and is basically a pond with methane bubbling up once in a while and an oil slick here and there. Take a picture of a tar blotch on the sidewalk with the park sign in the background. Department of Public Works run amuck. A man plays banjo (pretty well) in the park. Give him a dollar.
A zillion Bass Vault member are here for Soundcheck. Another zillion are on our guest list tonight. This is the last show of the tour. This is LA.
Spend the afternoon locked in a dressing room doing payroll…. all in cash. Vic calls to say he won’t make it back for soundcheck. I tell the band…. or at least everyone that’s on stage at the beginning of soundcheck. Soundcheck starts. Joseph calls Vic to ask if he’s coming back. Vic calls to ask me if I told the band. {sigh}
More calls…. more texts…more guests…more satin passes. Dinner down the street with some Bass Camp friends…. back to the venue. Show hits on time…. Vic tells me he wasn’t ready when I called the hit. {sigh}
Vic’s book has been picked-up by Penguin Publishing……head of promotion and new friend Howard Wall is here with another of his daughters. We met two other daughters in Boulder. People from Vanguard records are here. Our Manager, Danette, has flown in from NYC. The house is packed.
Surprise the promoter when I discover and tell him that he’s paying me too much. This is California… state taxes come off the settlement. Our online sales are deposited directly. Both figure must be subtracted from the collect. He thanks me by foregoing the merch percentage.
Show ends… zillions in the dressing room. Load-out. Back to the bus for the short ride to the airport hotel. Hassles checking in. Curse LA.
Bid farewell to Paul, who is starting the deadhead back to Nashville. I’ll miss him. We’ve had a great run together…. great conversations….lots of laughs. He tells me that I did a great job. Him, I believe.
Hang for a bit with Ant and Tone’. Watch ‘The Sopranos’ for the first and probably last time. {yawn} Back to the room…. Jack and Ted packing. I packed two days ago and take a quick shower before a little nap. It’s 4 AM… leaving for LAX at 6…….
Filed under: TourBlog
